


Trust No Future, However Pleasant

by Hekate1308



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-17 13:58:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21055553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: There were some Time Jumpers who pretended they are were kind of chosen ones; heroes who regularly got thrown back in Time and made sure everything went the way it should.Fred wasn't one of them. Mostly, he looked upon it as a bloody inconvenience.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You will find elements of many of my other stories in here (I only hope it's not too repetitive). This is what happens when I read Sir Terry Pratchett's work (John Keel is a character from Discworld I have... borrowed).  
Mostly, it's an exercise in world building for me. Hope you enjoy!

There were some Time Jumpers who pretended they are were kind of chosen ones; heroes who regularly got thrown back in Time and made sure everything went the way it should.

Fred wasn't one of them. Mostly, he looked upon it as a bloody inconvenience, being ripped from the Time one knew so well for hours or maybe days and having to make sure one didn't step on any those in the past because there was a chance that could lead to Changes, and no one wanted that. Changes had been prohibited by Our Lady Time Herself, long ago, when the first Jumpers had learned of their ability.

Granted, there had so far never been a Change, or at least not one big enough for people to become aware of it. Our Lady Time had a knack to look after Herself, not to mention that in dire circumstances, the Time Guard would be ready to intervene.

Speaking of... "Morning, Fred."

"Good morning, John." Fred wasn't too keen on Sergeant Keel, but he did an important job and, what was of even higher significance, he did it well.

"About Time for your next Jump, isn't it?"

He sighed. "Yes. My guess is sometime next week."

"Ah well, just do what you always do."

"Not my first Jump" he said, feeling slightly irritated. The last thing he wanted to contemplate first thing in the morning was Jumping. He'd always be grateful that neither of the children had inherited his abilities.

Morse, who'd picked him up like most mornings, was already sitting at his desk, laboriously typing away at a report. Good. Police work. Get him up the ladder sooner.

"Indeed not. See you around, Fred." And Keel left after having bestowed a glare on Morse - small wonder; he was an excellent Time Detective, but also old-fashioned. He didn't like Morse's methods.

"They say he's already dealt with at least five fractures in Time" Strange said, following Keel with wide eyes.

"That’s his job" Morse, who never participated in station gossip, said, and Fred suppressed a smile. Trust the lad to stop such talk in its tracks.

He went into his office.

* * *

It always happened the same way - one minute he was going about his day, the next the world was spinning and then he was somewhere else.

Or rather, _Somewhen_ else.

He'd been wrong - _today_ was the day of his next Jump.

He sighed and got up from the ground, hoping that this stay would be short. Automatically, he muttered a quick prayer to Our Lady Time, like he had been taught when he was just a boy and didn’t know he was a Jumper yet.

The first thing he always did when he Jumped was look for a newspaper so he’d know what year it was, although after years of praxis, he had a pretty good idea. This felt like 1946 to him.

He was proven to be right when he purchased a paper from one of his informants, now of course much younger. He didn’t ask any questions; One of the good things about Time Jumping was that only other Jumpers ever realized who one was. He could have gone straight up to Win and she wouldn’t have recognized him.

Of course there was always the risk of –

“Oh.”

Exactly this.

He turned around to face himself – literally; and wondered if he’d ever really been that young.

“What year?” his younger self asked, studying him.

“1967” he answered. He didn’t remember meeting himself, of course; if there was something he’d learned from being a Jumper, it was that memories were incredibly unreliable.

He nodded. Even back then, he’d already had his fair share of Jumps behind him and had known how it was. “Got everything you need?”

“Yes, don’t worry.” He’d learned to make doe with the clothes on his back and the little money he had early on.

“Any plans?” Most Time Jumpers were as matter-of-act as Fred himself when they met themselves, he believed; it was the only way to deal with it and still stay somewhat sane.

And, suddenly, an idea popped into his head. “Just thought I’d check up on a friend of ours. Up in Lincolnshire.”

“I assume that’s a new friend.”

“Known him a couple of years. Name’s Morse.” He*’d been rather curious about Morse and his history for a while now, and with how he’d been handling being locked up for nothing but running to help Fred…

Yes. He wanted to check up in Morse. 1946… his mum must still be alive, right? And anyway, no one ever Changed anything. Not the important stuff. Fred would just have a quick look around, and that would be it.

“Alright, then”. A slightly awkward silence ensued, but Fred assumed (although he couldn’t remember… or Remember, but then, Remembering was always more complicated) that this was always the case when he met his younger(older self. “I guess I’ll… see you around.”

“With Time, may She be blessed” he said courtly before walking away.

* * *

Again, there had never been a true Change in living memory. Fred was very aware of that, and so, he thought little about renting a car and driving to Lincolnshire. Worst thing that could happen was that he’d be zapped back into his present, leaving an empty car.

The only reason he even knew where to head exactly was because he knew Morse’s file by heart – really, getting personal information out of the lad was like pulling teeth. Still – there were a few things he’d picked up over the years; and so he knew he could expect a loving mother and a happy child.

It would be something, he suddenly thought, to see Morse completely and utterly happy.

How depressing it was.

He concentrated back on his driving.

* * *

He strolled down the streets of the town Morse had grown up in until his mother had died, wondering how he was supposed to find him after all. When the thought had first occurred to him, it had been the most logical thing in the world to check up on him – for whatever reason; but now…

And yet, he got lucky.

He’d just rounded a corner when something smacked right into his legs. “Sorry, mister!”

He didn’t need the calls of the woman running towards them – didn’t need the sound of “Endeavour!” ringing in his ears to know who it was who’d just stumbled into him. He’d have recognized those eyes everywhere, even if they were currently staring up at him from the face of an about nine year old boy.

“I’m very sorry” Mrs. Morse told him.

She really had been an exceptionally handsome woman.

“I didn’t mean to” Morse piped up “But Mum promised we’d go to the park!”

He couldn’t hide his smile. Morse as a child – Our Lady help him – had been _cute_. Adorable, in fact. With the russet curls and the easy smile he’d lose when his mother died, he looked like exactly the boy everyone imagined when they decided they wanted children. “To the park. Now that’s something worth being excited about.”

Morse nodded enthusiastically. “And afterwards, we’re going to the library!” Seemed like he was already a bookworm, and not even in his teens yet. Fred couldn’t say he was surprised.

“Now, now, Endeavour” Mrs. Morse said gently. “What did I tell you about talking to strangers?”

“Sorry, Mum.” He turned back to Fred. “I’m just excited, Mister.”

“Anyone would be” he told him, reaching out and ruffling his hair on an impulse. It seemed that this version of Morse was not yet as unused to physical displays of affection as the adult Fred knew would eventually grow to be, since he just grinned at him. “You’ve got a good lad there, Mrs.” He told his mother.

Her proud smile was answer enough.

A she watched them walk away, something in Fred’s throat constricted at how obviously happy they were, and how soon that would be taken from them.

And he couldn’t warn them. Those were the rules, and anyway – no one who had ever tried to Change anything had accomplished the task.

* * *

He holed himself up in a charming little B&B down the road and waited. There was little else he could do. There was no point in returning to Oxford; he’d just magically appear back in his office no matter where he was when he Jumped.

Sometimes, Fred regretted that he didn’t have more control over his abilities; but he usually remembered that Jumpers with control could easily go bad, and was glad that all of this evolved around chance and good luck.

For some reason, Morse wouldn’t leave his thoughts though. Such a sweet little lad, as Win would undoubtedly have said. And only a few years away from heartbreak.

And Mrs. Morse had been so polite, too. Constance, Morse had once told him her name was.

It was the worst thing about being a Jumper. Knowing what would happen, and not being able to do a damn thing about it – hell, even if could have, it would have been forbidden, the laws having been put in place centuries ago just in case someone ever figured out how to Change things.

But even if he’d been capable of doing something, even if he’d been capable and _allowed_ to do something – what could he have done? Mrs. Morse was doomed, doomed never to see her child grow up into the exceptional man he was going to be. It was inevitable, and it was unfair, and no matter how much Fred regretted it, he couldn’t prevent it.

That didn’t keep him from visiting the local Temple and leaving an offering for Her, though. After all, who knew.

And so he waited.

It took three days – really, not that long; in his youth, just after his abilities had first manifested themselves, he’d usually been gone for a week – until he felt the familiar pull and was suddenly back in his office again.

As always, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly strolled out of the room to get his bearings.

“Sir!” Jim Strange immediately stood to attention.

“How long?”

It was rather unusual for more days to have passed than he’d experience for himself, but it was always better to check.

“Three days, sir.”

That was alright, then. “Good, in that case –“ he stopped talking abruptly when he realized.

There was someone else sitting at Morse’s desk, someone who gave the definite impression of belonging there even though he didn’t.

Now, there was no reason to think something was wrong. He had returned confused and bewildered before; maybe he was making a mistake…

But no. This _was_ Morse’s desk, only that right now, it very much _wasn’t_.

_Think, Fred, think. _

He cleared his throat. “WPC Trewlove, would you mind terribly making me a cup of tea?”

“Of course not, sir. I’ll bring it to your office.”

He nodded and returned there, all but ripping open open the desk drawer where he kept the personal files of the officers he came in daily contact with.

But no matter how often he went through them, there was none marked _Morse_.

The heavy feeling that had settled somewhere behind his breastbone increased. Something had happened.

Things had Changed.

But that wasn’t possible. _Everyone_ knew that the big things didn’t Change.

And Morse not being his bagman, Morse not even being a policeman apparently…

It was too big a thing. It couldn’t be.

And yet here he was, with his memories full of Morse, when someone else was sitting at his desk, doing his work.

He knew the new memories would come eventually, of course. Knew he would be able to Remember. Normally his recollection of events was a bit shaky immediately after he’d returned, but it would happen.

But this was urgent. He had to act before that.

He needed to speak to Keel.

But before he could even get up from his desk, his door was thrown open and someone rushed in. “Jim called to tell me you’re back!”

He was drawn into a hug before he could even realize he was currently talking to Morse. Although, when he pulled back, it became clear that this was not the Morse he knew so well. No, this one was wearing a better suit, had put on a few pounds (finally) and was smiling the happy, innocent smile he’d last seen on a child’s face over twenty years ago.

Relief almost knocked him over. At least Morse was here. Now they could –

And then he turned Fred’s world upside down once more.

Because Morse looked at him and said, “Let’s have lunch then, Dad.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dad. Morse had just called him _Dad_.

Fred stared at him as he uncharacteristically prattled on, “Mother’ll be glad to hear that you’ve had a good meal. Oh, and Joanie might be late tonight, a new student, you see, and Sammy said that –“

Joanie. Sammy. _Mother_.

What in Our Lady's name was going on?

Thankfully, Morse wouldn’t notice anything amiss – or rather, would notice that he was looking a little bit dazed, but attribute that to the Time Jump.

Realizing that he had no choice but to play along for now – until he could alert Keeler – he followed Morse out of the office, acknowledging the greetings of his colleagues; and he wasn’t the only one.

“We still on for the pub quiz tomorrow night, Dev?” Jakes wanted to know.

_Our Lady Time._ Alright, so apparently in this version of events Morse was called Dev by his – friends?

Until now, he wouldn’t have thought Jakes was one of them.

“Sure thing” he said happily. “See you there, Peter, Jim, Shirley.”

Fred didn’t think he’d ever heard him call any of their colleagues by their first names before – if you didn’t count Doctor DeBryn, and he’d never quite understood their relationship anyway.

* * *

Once they were seated in the pub, Morse asked, “So… should we do the Check-Up?”

It was tradition, of course. Whenever a Time Jumper returned, they and whoever they happened to be close to talked for a while – just to make certain that nothing had Changed.

Fred almost laughed.

_Dad. He called me Dad and Win Mother. _

“Of course” he replied evenly. “I’m Fred Thursday, DI at Cowley station, Oxford. Married, three” he forced the word out “children.”

Morse nodded. “You and your wife Win got married during the war. 1946, when I was nine, you met mother and became fast friends. After she died, you adopted me.”

There was nothing of the usual heart-breaking grief when he mentioned his mother – just a feeling of fond remembrance.

But how? Fred wondered. How? Yes, he’d spoken to them briefly, but –

He couldn’t wait to go home and Remember.

Wait. He’d said he and Win had befriended them.

Had his past self grown curious? Probably.

But things never Changed. That was the rule. Most people believed the universe was simply incapable of Changing.

A warm hand on his arms. Eyes peering worriedly into his face. “Dad?”

“I’m fine. Just a little shaken up. The usual, you know.”

“I don’t” Morse replied simply but wisely, “I’m no Time Jumper.”

Fred knew that. But apart from that…

Bloody hell, where _were_ his memories of this timeline when he needed them?

“But everything’s as it should be, isn’t it?” Morse asked innocently and for a moment, Fred contemplated telling him the truth. That he was his bagman, not his son, and that they had only met three years ago.

But as he looked into his eyes, he couldn’t. This was a young man who firmly believed – no, who didn’t believe but knew, because here, it _was_ true – that his father had just returned from a Time Jump and was doing his best to comfort him.

And furthermore, this was _Morse_. Fred had cared deeply for the lad, even before… this. He couldn’t break his heart.

“I suppose. No Changes that I’m aware of” he lied therefore..

And so, he concentrated on his food while Morse was chattering away – it soon transpired that he must be working at one of the colleges, presumably Lonsdale, since he mentioned his students and a few names of his apparent colleagues that Fred could hazily remember.

That in itself wasn’t surprising.

What _was_ surprising (although much later he would think it wasn’t, not at all) was how much Fred wanted this to be true. He wanted Morse to have this life – he wanted them, to be a family.

Seemed like he’d underestimated just how worried he was about the young constable.

“And then I had a discussion with Alex about Phaedrus” his tone of voice suggested that he didn’t think all too much of this Alex, whoever they were “And he wouldn’t back down until Stromming told him that – ”

_Stromming_.

Fred’s blood ran cold.

Professor Stromming.

He knew that he’d left Lonsdale after his wife’s death.

Which meant –

That they hadn’t arrested Rosalind Stromming.

But of course; it had been Morse who’d figured that one out. Just like with so many other cases.

Our Lady, were all murderers they had arrested together just running around free because Fred had been foolish enough to Change things?

He needed to get back to the station and do his research.

* * *

Morse bid him goodbye by drawing him into another hug, startling him yet again. “And don’t stay out too late; you know Mother always makes dumplings when you return.”

At least that had stayed the same. He nodded.

Morse smiled, another one of those completely happy, satisfied smiles Fred had never seen on him before today and all but skipped away, at peace with the world and his place in it.

How much he wanted this for him.

Fred decided to go back to the station and check on the files.

* * *

Two hours later, he leaned back in his chair.

Things were both worse and better than he had anticipated.

Worse because some of their cases had indeed gone unsolved.

Better because – well, not all of them had ended without arrests being made. They were still a functioning police station, even without Morse, despite having reached the right conclusions sometimes in a different way from how Fred remembered it.

At least they got some of them.

The worst part of it all is that Fred felt not the least regret for what he had done. He should have, as he was very aware; every Time Jumper’s worst nightmare was to bring about Change even if until now, there had been no proof that it was possible.

But –

But –

Morse as their oldest – Morse as their boy – he couldn’t help but think that it felt right. Some primal, possessive part of him was insisting that this was as things _should have been_ – the part of him that had made him reach out to the young constable three years ago.

Morse was family to Fred. He’d known that for a while. He just hadn’t bee aware how strong the feeling was.

And now he was indeed.

What to do, that was the question. He had to come up with a plan. An idea. Something.

“I would have thought that you’d have come to me by now.”

He looked up to find Sergeant Keel in the doorway. He stepped through and closed it behind him.

“What?”

He sighed then began to explain with badly hidden impatience. “The Change. The one you made when you Jumped this Time. It’s one of the bigger ones I’ve seen, but don’t worry, we can fix it, I just need your permission to –“

“What do you mean, one of the bigger ones? there’s never been a Change before!”

“And isn’t it better for everyone that people should think that? Imagine how they would react to learning someone is a Time Jumper otherwise.”

“But – but I’ve never had a Change happen before!”

“They don’t always occur” he conceded, “Although even if one had, you wouldn’t remember it because we would have taken care of it, just like we always do. Now, your little problem –“

“How do _you_ know about the Change, then?” Fred interrupted him, squinting suspiciously.

He sighed again. “Look. I have been doing this for a long time. And you know about Remembering.”

Yes, Fred did indeed. In fact, he couldn’t wait to, just to make sure of things.

“So, let’s deal with this, right?”

“And ten what?” he asked.

“What do you mean, and then what? And then everything goes back to normal, Morse is nothing but your bagman again, and you can go home.”

Fred thought about it.

For a whole two seconds.

And then he said the only thing he could say. “No.”

Keel’s eyes widened. They really looked rather remarkable, Fred suddenly realized – not in the way Dev’s did, but there was _something_… “What do you mean, no?”

“I want to keep our boy.”

“Our – you’ve had lunch as father and son _once_! You barely spent an hour together!”

“Not in this version of events.”

“But – in Our Lady’s Name, Fred, he’s not some stray cat you can just _take in_ – ”

“We didn’t just take him in, we adopted him” Fred said firmly.

“Fred” he said “be reasonable. You can’t actually want this.”

“Of course I scan.”

“No you can’t. You know about Remembering, you know it as well as I do. You’re going to go through your days with a splitting headache at best.”

“I’ll find a way to manage.” If he had to start his morning routine from now on by taking aspirin, he would.

“Have you gone insane? _No_ Change has ever been allowed to stay!”

“How do you know that?” he argued.

“I – I can’t –“ he squeezed the bridge of his nose., “Inspector Thursday, you know that as a member of the Time Guard, I stand above you in rank, and I order you –“

“Then I am going to commit insubordination, sir. Respectfully, sir.”

“Don’t make me go to Superintendent Bright –“

“I know him better than you, and it’s my word against yours that Morse has always been our son.”

“You – but you can’t do this.”

“Look at this” Fred said, getting up and gathering his hat and coat, “This is me doing this. Good night, Keel.”

“But – but there are rules! They are there for a reason! Time is a delicate thing and if you just barge around Changing things you don’t like – ”

He didn’t listen to what he had to say.

* * *

As he was driven home by a PC, he was very well aware that what he was doing was crazy and could even potentially get him fired, if Keel reported to their respective superiors.

But this felt _right_. Everything about this felt right. He could fix things. He could make sure that the culprits of the crimes he remembered ended up in jail, and Morse could stay, happy and healthy and looked after in the way only a loving family could.

“Everything alright, sir?” The PC eventually asked.

“Yes, thank you, just tired.”

It was as good a lie as any.

Win, as always when he returned from Jumping, hurried to greet him. “There you are. Any problems?”

“None at all. Just the usual:”

She kissed him. “Good. Dev just came home too; the children are setting the table.”

And indeed now Fred could hear them, chattering away, and it just felt natural to have Morse’s – Dev’s – laughter mingle with Joan and Sam.

“Joanie’s saying she has a new student with promise.”

Student? Right, Dev had said something about that, too.

Well, he just had to get through dinner and then he’d have to Remember.

* * *

Dinner was even easier to handle than anticipated. One more child meant one more person to talk, and so Fred got away with being silent – they knew he was usually tired after his Jumps anyway, so they weren’t bothered by it.

Fred simply watched and had a generous amount of dumplings on Win’s insistence.

Until now, he hadn’t realized how much it bothered him to know that probably every night, Morse was out there not taking care of himself and probably drinking himself to sleep; but seeing him at their table bantering with – with his siblings, he looked as well put together as Fred had always wished him to be.

Yes. Even with all the Changes –

This was good.

This was a good thing.

And he’d be damned to let anyone take it away from them again. 

* * *

Afterwards, he opted for pretending to wish for a quiet smoke in the living room so he’d be left alone to Remember.

The children scampered up the stairs, still talking to each other, and Win made him promise he’d come up soon before joining them.

He sat down, closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

Time to _Remember_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, this is mostly worldbuilding and too many Terry Pratchett books thrown in the mix... Hope the lore is clear!


	3. Chapter 3

Remembering was a trick every Time Jumper picked up soon after their first Jump. There were courses for it, but Fred had never bothered with them; somehow his instincts had taught him how to do it, and that had been enough for him.

Ordinary folks – or at least those who were never dragged back into the past – didn’t understand it. But in effect, it was simple.

There was remembering, and there was Remembering. The later meant not the usual, random memories flashing through one’s mind; no, it consisted of carefully sifting through one’s brain, one thought, one memory after another, until one knew what was what.

And there had to be some new memories of his, now. To explain. To explore. To understand.

Yes. There they were…

_Morse, his older self had said. Now, Fred knew that technically he wasn’t supposed to do anything – that he should just accept that and go on with his life; but there was something about that name, something about that chap Morse, whoever he was, that drew him in. _

_And so, without telling Win the truth, he took her on a trip to Lincolnshire on the weekend. She immediately happily acquiesced, and he felt guilty for almost lying to her, especially considering they were expecting their first child by now. _

_Still, they drove up next Saturday. _

_Once they had reached the town he himself had told Fred about, the got out of the car and he made up a feeble excuse to check out the police station, fully expecting to find his target there. Win simply rolled her eyes and told him she’d be looking at the shops. _

_To his surprise and disappointment, no one in the station knew someone named Morse, not even when he told them it was for some made-up inquiry. _

_What he didn’t expect was to find Win on main street in pleasant conversation with a young lady ad her rather adorable son. _

_“Oh, Fred!” she called him over. “This is Constance Morse and her son, Endeavour.”_

Morse?

_He hid his surprise and greeted them both. _

_The little boy smiled up at him, his eyes twinkling, and he realized he was in the rare company of a child who didn’t grow bored when the adults were talking. “Hello, Mr. Thursday.”_

_He solemnly shook his hand. _

_Fred quickly established that there was no husband – not anymore, as Mrs. Morse soon admitted – so the friend he’d told him about probably wasn’t him since Fred didn’t have much patience for men who left their family behind. _

_The boy, then. _

_And in twenty years he’d be a man, of course. _

_Said boy was currently asking question after question about being a police man, but Fred didn’t mind. Such a friendly little chap, and rather cute, too. _

_Yes, the day might not have yielded the expected results, but it was a good enough outing. _

_And that, he believed, was that. _

* * *

_It wasn’t that. _

_Win had liked Mrs. Morse – or Constance, as she came to call her soon enough – rather a lot and so there were phone calls and letters, and shortly after she came down with their Joan (he was a father, oh dear Lady Time, he was a _father_) up to Oxford they came, Constance (“Really, Fred, no reason to insist on formalities”) and Endeavour. _

_He immediately marched up to Win, who was holding Joan and said, “Hello, Joan. Mum said you’d be small but get bigger soon. The grown-ups make everything complicated sometimes, but don’t worry, I’ll be your friend.”_

_Win showed him how to hold her, and it was one of the most enchanting scenes Fred had ever seen. _

_After that, there were more visits – both from Constance and Endeavour to Oxford, and Fred, Win and Joan to Lincolnshire – and Endeavour, despite the age difference, indeed became the first friend Joan ever had. One of the first words she pronounced even was “’Deavour” which he was rather proud about; and when she took her first steps, he was always ready to hold her hand and help her. _

_“He doesn’t have many friends at school” Constance confided in them while he was busy with Joan, “Too quiet, too much of a bookworm.”_

_“I think” Win said, echoing Fred’s thoughts, “He’s perfect just as he is”. _

_Constance smiled, and Fred thought once more that she’d grown rather thin lately. _

* * *

_By Joan’s first birthday, they had become “Uncle Fred” and “Aunt Win” to Endeavour, who was always happy to see them, mostly brabbling about the latest book he’d read or the lessons he’d had at school. Constance had been right – apparently, he had few friends of his own age to share his thoughts with; his grades, however, were excellent. _

_Sometimes Fred worried that them meeting so early had Changed things, then dismissed the thought. There had never been a Change before, and _he’d_ not been the one to travel anyway. _

_Plus, both Constance and Endeavour were a delight to be around. Even if she seemed never to shake that cough, nowadays. _

* * *

_Now and then, Constance mentioned her former husband, and everything he heard deepened Fred’s impression of an unlikable, brutish man. Granted, it took two people to make a relationship work, but why would he care so little for his son? According to Constance, he barely managed to send him a card for his birthday. _

_Endeavour himself seemed to care little for him, too. When Fred tried to sound him out, he drew himself up to his full height and declared, “I have Mum”. _

_Brave little chap. _

* * *

_"Look, Uncle Fred!” _

_Endeavour was beaming, and it was small wonder, considering the paper he showed him. _

_“An A+! Look at you! I bet your mum’s very proud.”_

_“She is! She bought me ice cream!”_

_Joan made noises at the words ice cream, and Endeavour hastened to her side. _

Just like a big brother_, Fred thought before he could stop himself. _

* * *

_They had spoken about it, of course. There were some things you couldn’t just ignore. _

_And so, on their next visit to Lincolnshire – they had just confirmed that they were having their second child – they found Constance sitting bin the kitchen, pale but smiling, while Endeavour was nowhere to be seen. Joan immediately demanded to know where he was, of course, but Win hushed her when she saw the expression on their friend’s face. _

_“They say there is nothing they can do anymore.”_

_Fred’s throat constricted and Win breathed, “Oh, Constance…”_

_She waved her concerns away. “It’s not myself I am worried about. But Fred, Endeavour… I – you’ve been the closest he’s had to a father figured in a while. Could you… speak to him? _

_He nodded, feeling that he couldn’t say anything to that. _

_So he walked up to where he was sitting on the ground, staring at a tree as if it would explain why the universe would be taking his mother away soon. “Hello, Endeavour.”_

_“Uncle Fred.”_

_He sat down next to him. _

_Then, quietly, he said, “Mums’ going to die.”_

_“I know.”_

_Endeavour turned to him, eyes wet with unshed tears. “It’s not. Because all I can think of is how I don’t want to go to live with _him_. I’m being selfish” and he started to sob “Yes I am!”_

_“Oy, Endeavour” he pulled him into a hug, “You’re# not. Trust me, I know selfish people, and you’re not one of them.”_

_“They why” he mumbled against his coat. _

_“Because you don’t want to be thinking of… other things” Fred said. “That’s the reason. That’s the only reason.”_

_He pulled back, his eyes too wide and empty for a boy of twelve. “I –“ he hiccupped._

_“None of that, now” he pulled out a handkerchief. “Just know that me and Aunt Win will always be there for you, alright?”_

_“Promise?” he sniffed. _

_“Promised” he said even though he had no idea of what the future would bring. _

* * *

_After this, they doubled their efforts to stay close to Constance and Endeavour. His father, even though he knew what was going on, had made no attempt to contact the more and more desperate boy; Fred’s blood seethed whenever he thought of it. _

_And then came the night when a phone call woke him up. _

_When he groggily answered the phone, he was greeted with a sniffle and an “Uncle Fred –“_

_“Endeavour?”_

_“Mum she’s – I’m calling from the hospital and they say it won’t be long now” he cried. “And they’ll send me to Dad, and I know him, he’ll say it’s too far to visit her every day, and I’ll have to say goodbye RIGHT NOW –“ and it all turned into incomprehensible sobs, as the boy gave into the pressure of relieving himself of his grief and fear the only way he knew how. _

_And Fred made a decision. _

_Ten minutes he, Win, and a sleepy Joan were on the road. _

* * *

_When they arrived at the hospital, it was four am. Endeavour was in the waiting room – apparently his dad hadn’t even bothered to come running _now_ – and immediately launched himself at them, still crying. _

_Win, pregnant as she was, sank to her knees, and Fred, holding Joan, rubbed his back. “There, there” he said somewhat helplessly. _

_“Excuse me, but who are you?” a nurse who was, as it seemed, somewhat more concerned for Endeavour than the rest, asked. _

_He turned his wet face to her. “They’re Uncle Fred and Aunt Win!”_

_She apparently decided that meant they were related, and Fred let it slide, since it made things easier. _

_The decision was already made. They’d install Win and Joan at Constance’s for now, since that meant Endeavour could see his mother daily, and then they would see. _

* * *

_Fred couldn’t be around as much as he wanted, not with him being needed at the station, but he and Win had daily phone calls. It seemed Endeavour was holding up as well as could be expected, often cuddling Joan for hours. Win too him to the hospital every single day and told him that Constance was rather too grateful. “I told her she shouldn’t worry, poor dear. Our Lady Time knows they deserve to see each other as much as they can.”_

_Morse senior had yet to make an appearance. _

* * *

_During one of Fred’s rare visits, Constance made a point of thanking him as well, but he wouldn’t hear of it. “You just focus on Endeavour. He’s such a brave little guy.”_

_She smiled weakly. “He is, isn’t he.” Then she turned serious. “Fred, I know it’s a lot I am asking, but when I’m gone –“_

_“He won’t be alone” he promised. “I swear to our Lady, he won’t be alone, Constance.”_

_“Thank you”. She briefly squeezed his hand. “That’s all I could ask for.”_

* * *

_The day Constance died was a rainy and dreary one, and Fred couldn’t get that old saying of angels crying out of his head. _

_Endeavour managed to stay with her until her last minute, as Win told him when she called, her own voice thick with tears. _

_He managed to take a day off and immediately drove to Lincolnshire. _

_When he arrived, Endeavour was crying in his bed, and he quickly kissed Win and Joan and went to see him. _

_“He’ll take me away now” were the first words he spoke, and again, Fred thought, he probably believed himself to be selfish. _

_“No he won’t.”_

_“Yes he –“_

_“No he won’t, Endeavour. How about you pack a bag?”_

_And that’s how they ended up driving back to Oxford with a grieving boy on the backseat, with Joan, who had yet to understand dearth, still trying her best to cheer him, up. _

* * *

_Endeavour stayed with them. There were occasional calls from the boy’s father, but he didn’t seem too concerned. _

_And so, a decision was slowly being made without them even being aware of it. Or maybe, he’d later think, it had been made quite a while ago. _

Fred was startled out of his memories with a gentle “Dad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that's like the tenth "What if the Thursdays adopted Morse" timeline I have written lol. Let me know what you think please?


	4. Chapter 4

He didn’t have to ask but he did anyway. “Dev?”

After all those years of addressing him as _Morse_ it should have felt strange but didn’t.

The headache Keel had threatened him with was already beginning. And it would only get worse from there.

Their – their oldest stepped into the light from the lamp on the couch table. “Is something wrong?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You’re different – different from usual when you come back from a Jump. Joan and Sam noticed too.”

“And then they sent you to the front line, aye?”

He smiled as he sat down next to him. “Something like that.”

“I – “ And he realized he couldn’t lie to him. Not to his face. “When I Jumped – I Changed something.”

Even in the dim light he could see his eyes wide. “But – bust that’s not possible.”

“It is. Apparently, they don’t want people to know the truth, lest the old prejudices about Time Jumpers resurface.”

They winced as they remembered the dark ages.

“Keel told me, and he’s got no reason to lie. Wants to return things to what they were before.”

A pause. Then, Dev began quietly, “But that’s a good thing, isn’t it.”

“No. Because the thing that Changed – it’s good.”

“It is?”

“Yes. Bloody brilliant, even” he admitted.

“Well then – wait, are there costs?”

“Aren’t there always.”

They fell silent for a few moments again, but then Dev said, “I guess it’s a question of who benefits and why.”

“That would be it, wouldn’t it.”

Because – well, Fred knew that he could be a selfish, hot-headed bastard when he wanted to be, and this was motivated at least in part by selfishness, by his own desire not to let Dev slip through their fingers, by the belief that they should always have been closer than they were.

“And you don’t know what to do” Dev prompted.

No. That wasn’t the problem at all. He knew what to do. He knew what every other Jumper on the planet would have done.

It was even the right thing to do when you thought about it.

But he couldn’t allow that damn it, couldn’t leave Morse alone out there where he would eventually drink himself to a lonely grave.

No. He couldn’t. and he wouldn’t. No matter what Keel did.

Which again, was a problem because Keel was fundamentally decent when it came to that. He was just trying to do his job, and Fred was refusing to comply simply because he wanted to.

“You’re going to make the right decision” Dev said suddenly. “I know that.”

“Oh?” he managed to reply.

“Yes” he confirmed, standing up and, unknowingly echoing his new and yet as-of-old little brother, “You’re my dad.”

Our Lady Time, he wanted to hear these words for the rest of his life.

And so, after Dev had left him, head throbbing and eyes growing heavier by the minute, he made a decision even as he Remembered more.

_Win came down with little Sammy a few weeks after Constance’s death. Endeavour was doing remarkably well under the circumstances, but if he hadn’t insisted on it, Fred would have left him at home. That boy had been through enough when it came to hospitals. _

_The reason for Endeavour’s stubbornness became clear when he saw Win and the baby and all but threw himself at her. He’d needed to see for himself that she was okay. _

_“Now, now, dear” she soothed him. “Don’t you want to meet Sam?”_

_He blinked up at her and sniffled before looking down at the baby and saying, Hello, Sam.”_

_“’Deavour!” as Joan kept calling him, rang out, and he hastened to help her unto the bed. _

_As he watched with a smile on his face – the boy appeared calmer than he had since Constance had passed – a nurse stepped up to him. “What a wonderful big brother” she marvelled. “Most of the older boys aren’t that keen on new babies.”_

_“Oh he and our Joanie have always been very close” he answered before realizing what he’d said, but she’d already moved away. _

_And so Fred stepped up to his family – for such it was, he realized, no matter what happened. _

* * *

_A few weeks after that, he came home to an already dark house – small wonder, since it was after eleven pm; but when he checked Endeavour’s bed (they would eventually have to put another one in there for Sam, of course) it was empty. Same with Joan’s. _

_A little concerned, he went into the bedroom, only to find all three kiddies cuddled up to his wife, each and everyone of them fast asleep. _

_He kissed her and she stirred. “Oh, Fred – wait let me just –“_

_“Let them sleep. Our Lady knows Endeavour could need it.”_

_She nodded and managed to extract herself. _

_She insisted on warming something up for him, of course. _

_“I was putting Sam to bed, and you know our walls aren’t the thickest – so I could hear Endeavour crying, poor mite. When I went into his room” Fred wondered if she knew with how much familiarity she already used the words “his room” “He did his best to hide it, of course. Insisted that it had been “a while” so why should he have been crying? _Such_ a dear boy. I took him with me, and of course Joan came in at one point – she seems to feel when something’s wrong with him – and then” she sniffed “Oh Fred, she asked if he wanted another cuddle to make him feel better – and he the admitted that he’s been crying regularly as if it’s something shameful.”_

_“It’s because he cries for himself as much as he does for Constance” he told her, remembering the scene in the garden. “He thinks he’s being selfish.” He was wrong, of course, but there was little they could do to disabuse him from the notion. _

_“Ph that poor dear” she sighed and then looked at him with a determination he remembered well from the day she’d told him no, they weren’t going to wait until after the war; they were going to get married _now_. “Fred – we can’t let him go there.”_

_“To his father, you mean.”_

_“You know how he fears the prospect – and that – that _man_ didn’t even think to show up as Constance lay dying! And he’s married again, with a baby. Our Lady only knows what his stepmother thinks of all this. That’s no environment for a grieving boy. And with how much Joanie loves him and looks up to him – as if he were her big brother…”_

_“Yes, but Win… you can’t just keep children from their parents” he dared say. “It’s not legal.”_

_“Then” she declared, “We shall make it legal. Believe me.”_

_He did. _

_Mostly because he always did. _

* * *

_And so, the very next day, while he was at work, Win set things in motion. Fred hadn’t known that she already had a move in kind, but he wasn’t surprised. _

_He was somewhat surprised when it was clear at dinner that she wanted to tell him something, but didn’t say anything. _

_It became clear why when she sent Endeavour and Joan upstairs to play (and to now and then check up on Sammy, a task Endeavour considered of the outmost importance) and said, “They are not against it, per se.”_

_“Sorry, pet – who is not against –“_

_“Mr. And Mrs. Morse. I called them today. Seems like money is tight, and they are not looking forward to having to feed and look after him –“_

_His blood boiled. Imagine that, economics being the first thing on your mind when your child lost his _mother_. “What did you say?”_

_“Well, I said we’d all grown to like him very much, and we wouldn’t mind looking after him for a while longer yet. They even agreed when I mentioned finding him a school around here when the holidays are over.”_

_Alright, that sounded promising. “Allie Fitzsimons” he suddenly said. _

_“What?”_

_“Acquaintance of mine. NSPCC, you see.”_

_Win obviously guessed what he was thinking, for her next words were, “We have to ask Endeavour first, of course – we can’t just make this decision for him.”_

_Fred, while having little doubt as to what his reaction would be, agreed with her. _

* * *

_And so, after they had brought Joan to bed – as always, ‘Deavour had to give her a kiss as well – they brought him downstairs for a cup of tea. _

_“So, Endeavour” Win said gently, “I called your father today.”_

_And Fred saw, saw as he came to the wrong conclusion, saw his shoulders tighten and his face carefully lose all expression, and, Our Lady Time, he never wanted to see him like this again. _

_“And” Win continued quickly, “He agreed that you could stay for as long as you wanted, and we’ve all grown very fond of you’re here, you have to know that, so… We were wondering if you’d continue to stay… infinitely.”_

_He blinked as he took in what she’d just said. “You want me to stay?”_

_“If you wish to do so” he said firmly. “We’d be very happy, of course.” _

_Win nodded enthusiastically. _

_He looked at them, sniffled, looked down on the floor. “Mum said you’d be there for me”. _

_“And we will be, for as long as you’ll have us” Win said, reaching oust to brush a lock of hair off his forehead. _

_“Can I stay with you, then” he asked quietly. “I would very much like to.”_

_“But of course!”_

_Win hugged him and he buried his face in her shoulder. _

_Fred supposed to let him cry it out was the best thing for him right now. _

_He patted his back. _

_Now, everything would be fine. _

* * *

_Later that night, he habitually checked up on Joan, only not to find her in her bed. _

_Having a hunch, he moved to what was now officially Endeavour’s room and found them fast asleep, Joan cuddled into his arms. _

_He smiled. _

* * *

_With the help of his acquaintance at NSCPP, everything was official soon enough. And if a little money made its way over to the Morses’ so no one complained, only they and Fred and Win would ever know. _

_Shortly after that, ‘Deavour turned into Dev when Joan was in a haste, and it stuck. It simply felt too natural to fight it. _

* * *

_It took Dev only a few weeks to get used to the new state of things, proving that many of his tears must indeed have been caused by his anxiety over his own fate. _

_Fred didn’t blame him for it in the least. Going to live with a father who’d cared preciously little for him since (and probably even before) the divorce must have seemed daunting indeed. After all, he was just a child who’d lost the only true parent they had ever known. _

_Or not. _

* * *

_Puberty had little to no impact on Dev, who continued to dote on the kiddies, study diligently and listen to opera whenever he could. Joan had certainly taken a shine to his music, too; by now, she was learning how to play the piano and insisting she’d become a teacher eventually. _

_Puberty had, however, one effect they hadn’t foreseen. _

_One evening, he was telling them about school and suddenly said, “And then Mr. Adair – he’s then one in the glasses, Dad – he said –“_

_From the corner of his eyes, he saw Wins startle, and he felt the same way. Much as he loved him, he hadn’t expected that. _

_And he understood that in a way, it was a test. If he corrected Endeavour now, he’d never call him Dad again, but something of their closeness would be lost. _

_On the other hand…_

_“Didn’t you say he was a bit funny, son?”_

_Dev stared then grinned brightly and happily as he continued his story. _

_Calling Win mother after that was only a matter of course. _

Yes, Fred decided, he was doing this. He was going to try and fight every step of the way if it meant they could keep Dev.

And that meant he had to ache things to… the higher, no, the _highest up_, so to speak.

Yes.

He would have to go to the Temple of Our Lady Time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Thursday family feels because... let's face it, that's what we're all here for, isn't it.


	5. Chapter 5

He had known the prayers by heart since he had been a boy, of course. But, seeing as he was a Jumper himself, Fred had never bothered with truly worshipping Our Lady Time – it would have seemed rather ironic to him considering since he spent a good part of his Jumping experiences cursing her and her fickle ways.

But if anyone could help him now, it was the Time Priests. After all, they were supposed to talk to Time Herself regularly.

And so, he knocked on the door.

The young woman who opened it didn’t seem surprised to see him in the slightest. “Ah DI Fred Thursday, I presume?”

He nodded.

“Right on time.”

He was starting to think he didn’t like this word at all; and so carelessly spoken, to, when normally, one would avoid it at all costs, unless –

There was something niggling at the back of his mind, but he chose to ignore it for now. “I have come to ask for –“

“Help, of course. Come in”.

Fred hadn’t been at the Temple often in his life. As always, its opulence made him feel rather disgusted than awed.

“I assume you know what happened?”

She smiled wryly. “That would make things easier, wouldn’t it. But sadly, all we ever get is… impressions. We know there was a Change, and that things… aren’t going as they should.”

_As they should_, Fred thought angrily. As if Time Jumpers were allowed no say over their own fate. Granted, everyone grew up with the old rules, telling one never to risk Change, never to question things, never to try and make everything better… but really, what did one get for obeying these laws?

“We understand” she continued, leaving Fred to wonder whether the Time Priests had all sense of identity stripped from them, “That you are close to the young man and wish to keep him in your family.”

“He’s our boy” he told her what he had told Keel.

“But he wasn’t supposed to be.”

“How do you know that?” he asked angrily. “How do you know that this wasn’t how things were supposed to go after all? That I accidentally righted a few wrongs?”

He expected her to defend her opinion, but instead she said, “I don’t. But there is a way things are done, and you are refusing to, and it’s already hurting you. How’s your head?”

“I’m fine” he said, even though he had yet to get rid off the headache.

“And the murderers who walk free?”

“I thought you didn’t know any details?”

“That may be, Inspector, but sometimes you just have to think to come to some very obvious conclusions.”

“Other cases we didn’t solve before got closed, though” he tried.

“So you say it evens out?”

It didn’t, of course, because Our Lady Time didn’t work that way.

And yet…

And yet…

Thinking of Dev’s even, happy smile, so quickly in coming, his gentle laughter, his obvious contentment with the world and his place in it –

What right did Fred have to rip all of that away from him? Away from his other kids, too? They were so close. And Win doted on Dev, as well.

“And it’s not even that big a Change” he insisted. Because it wasn’t. Right from the start – well, what would have been the start; he and Morse – Dev – had clicked; and knowing that he could have been . would have been, part of their family simply because of one drive he and Win had taken…

“That may be, but what would time be if we allowed such things to happen?”

“How do you know you haven’t already?” He challenged her.

To his surprise, she laughed. “Again, I can’t tell you. There might be Changes that fell under the radar, implemented before anyone could catch them. But now we have the Time Guard, and you know they won’t give up until you agree.”

“That’s why I’m here” he said, his head throbbing somewhat more. “If there is anyone who can fix this, it’s Our Lady Time.”

“And what have you ever given to Our Lady Time that she should be giving you something, Fred Thursday?” she asked.

“Like you before, I can’t tell you” he answered honestly. “But Dev – Morse – he deserves better than what I remember.”

“You mean he deserves what you Remember instead” she said with a light smile.

“Yes! Why should he have to be alone, with no one to care for him –“

“You did, though.”

“Yes. Of course I did. But I could hardly look after him the way a father would, could I.”

“You mean he wouldn’t let you. What gives you the right to decide that he should look upon you as his dad?”

He deflated because he well knew she had a point. “I have none. I can’t even tell you that this is the best Morse could have. But – we love him. We all love him.”

“Do you, or did the Change make you?”

“I already looked upon him like another son” he said, honestly. “From the start. I couldn’t understand it then and I can’t explain it now. But I’ve always cared for him. And if he allowed himself to grow closer to others, Win and the kids would feel the same.”

“You can’t be sure about that.”

He looked at an elaborate painting of Our Lady Time and quietly replied, “No. None of us Time Jumpers can be very sure of many things, really. We live with the knowledge that any moment, we can just be thrown back into the past and everybody and their mother tends to tell us that we have to be careful. But you know what? Of this, I am certain. Endeavour Morse was meant to be with us. I cannot give you a reason. I cannot even justify it with regard to the cases or the world as a whole or every Time Jumper who has ever wanted and resisted the opportunity to bring on a Change. But this is the truth.”

“Yes, you are being trustful” the Priestess said quietly. “But that won’t help if Our Lady doesn’t agree with you.”

His heart sped up, accompanied with another pounding in his head. “You will let me talk to Her?”

There had always been rumours, of course. Rumours that some could enter the Temple and speak to Our Lady Time Herself.

Until now, Fred had never truly contemplated it, mostly because he wouldn’t have wanted to speak to Her. There was nothing to be gained, he’d have said; he was a Time Jumper, and that was that.

But now…

“No one can know whether or not she’ll speak to them. It’s Her decision”. She pointed at a door that was strangely simple for what he had so far seen of the Temple. “Through here.”

He nodded at her, then moved.

* * *

Fred had never thought much about Our Lady Time, mostly because he would probably just have grown angry when he considered his fate – and that of the other Time Jumpers. After all, what were they supposed to do? Couldn’t She just leave them in their own present?

But even if he had ever imagined actually meeting Her, he could not have anticipated what happened when he went through the door.

He didn’t even feel any different, but he was.

For no one could lie to Time. They could lie to their loved ones, they could lie to the public, they could lie to themselves.

But never to Time. Time knew all secrets, Time found out everything before covering some of it up again.

And so he walked into the empty room and waited because it was the only thing he can do.

Until he heard the words, “You are a persistent man, Fred Thursday”.

And he turned around to see a young woman – or rather – a woman whose age he couldn’t possibly determine. He couldn’t even have said why he couldn’t guess.

“By now the pain must be excruciating”.

“It was” he said, surprised, “But right now I can’t feel a thing.”

“It would be detrimental to our discussion wouldn’t it?”

He supposed She was even more powerful than he had assumed.

“So why are you here?”

“You know.”

“Yes. But you still have to tell me.”

He didn’t know why but found himself speaking anyway. “I Changed something.”

“Yes you did.”

“I Changed something, and now we have another son. Endeavour Thursday. He is a professor at Lonsdale, he’s smart and friendly and belongs in our family”.

“But he didn’t before.”

“Yes, he did. Even if none of us admitted it to ourselves. I – it just feels right.”

She studied him, then nodded. “I can tell that you believe that.”

She didn’t say more. They both stayed silent.

Fred didn’t know what to say. His whole adult life, ever since he turned twenty, he had been living on the whim of the Lady – well, he could have said that about everyone naturally, but Time Jumpers were even more susceptible to Time Herself than others.

And now he didn’t know what to say.

If he asked her why, _why_ they existed, would it lead to anything?

He doubted it.

At the same time, he felt that She had already made a decision, and he rather feared it wasn’t one that he wanted to hear.

“Oh” She suddenly said. “You actually do love him like a son. I thought you just _believed_ you did.”

He had the feeling She had been poking around in his head, which he was more than a little uncomfortable with, but if it led to his desired outcome…

“And you’re right, of course. It _is_ selfish, in a way.”

Yes, he knew. But then, Morse was so selfless that Fred thought it just even out.

“But, Fred Thursday… this isn’t just your decision. You are aware of that?”

He was the only Time Jumper he knew, so he didn’t know why he should have considered that motion. “If you mean Keel…”

“No, I do not mean Sergeant Keel. He is a good man, you know.” And now Her eyes were laughing, for some reason.

“Yes. I do know.” A good man, and an excellent officer. And he even had a point about the Change.

But Fred couldn’t allow it to happen.

He knew that technically, he would forget. He would forget these crazy two days were Morse had been their son. But somehow, he also knew that he would always feel that something was missing, something that had only been theirs for a short time.

“You mean Dev” he realized. He’d been right – he _was_ a selfish bastard. He hadn’t even spared a thought to what the Morse he remembered and the Dev he Remembered would say to all of this.

Mostly because he had believed that Dev would wish to be part of their family as much as he wanted him to.

“I understand that he means very much to you” She said, almost gently., “And that this made you not realize. But endeavours got a right to choose as well. _Your_ decision has already been made. But no Change can come without a sacrifice of some sort. You do understand?”

Fred nodded, his throat dry.

“Good. Because they will be arriving shortly. Also – think of what you have learned in the past few days. It might help”.

She turned to leave and he found himself calling after Her. “Wait – Milady! If – if he wants to stay with us – what are you going to do?”

She didn’t look at him again but said, not unkindly, “You will have to see.”

Of course. Time Jumpers only ever went to the past. They never Jumped into the future, for some reason that only probably Our Lady Time could have explained but chose not to.

He understood that his audience, if he was to call it that, was at an end.

As he walked out of the room, he wondered who she had meant by them –

Only for his heart to sink when he saw Dev and Keel stand in the Temple.

Dev gave him a sad, withering smile, nothing like his usual ones – in fact, he looked so very much like _Morse_ it was difficult to recall the Change for a second.

It was explained when Keel nudged him and he quietly forced himself to say, “We need to talk, Da- _sir_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there are some hints at the twist in this... Hope you enjoy it!


	6. Chapter 6

“Dev –”

“It’s Morse, isn’t it“ he said, sounding bitter, glancing at Keel. “I was never meant to be your son.”

Despite the pain he was in from Remembering, despite everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, those words hurt. “But you _are_.”

“Because of a Change, that’s all. Because you somehow made something that I would have –“ he broke off. “I know the truth now.”

“You had no right” Fred told Keel.

“And you had none to Change the past. And yet here we are.”

He wasn’t being vindictive; there was even a hint of pity in his eyes; and somehow, Fred hated him more for it than he would have if he had made this personal.

“Let me talk to my boy, please” he said coldly. “Alone.”

“I’ll be outside, then” he replied, and the matter-of-fact way in which he obviously expected them to choose and Change everything back made Fred’s skin crawl.

He tried to remind himself that this wasn’t Keel’s fault, or anyone’s, really. Not even Fred’s – he’d simply told his past self he was checking up on a friend, believing a true Change to be impossible. There was nothing anyone could say against that. Every Time Jumper interacted with their former selves when they met, simply because there was little else to do.

Keel stepped away and he was left with his – his –

His son, he decided. He would do whatever he could to make this a reality – no, to _keep_ this a reality.

“Endeavour” he said quietly. He figured it was enough of a midway between Morse and Dev to make him feel somewhat comfortable.

“Sir.”

The word he’d been so used to exhaling from Morse’s mouth now made his skin crawl. “I – “

But Dev interrupted him with words that made his blood chill.

“What was it you just said to Keel? You had no right” he said sadly.

“You were happy” he replied, feeling more helpless than he had in his entire life.

“Yes, when I believed this was real.”

“It is real” he answered, “In this timeline it is.”

“But it’s not the right one.”

“Who’s to say? Who’s to say this wasn’t meant to happen?”

“You just spoke to Our Lady Time, didn’t you?” he challenged him. “Did She tell you that it was?”

“We both know She doesn’t act that way.”

“What did She say, then?”

“She… She said it was your decision, too.” Fred looked at him and saw a familiar expression on Dev’s face, although he had never seen it in his new Memories.

He was very familiar with it in that other life, though, that life he had been leading until his latest Jump.

Dev was trying to do what he thought was right but didn’t want to do. “And you don’t want to go back, do you” he continued, knowing fully well that he was manipulating him. After all, Dev could hardly make an informed decision; unlike Fred, who Remembered, he only knew this life.

And suddenly, he knew what the Lady had meant.

He nodded towards the door, wondering why the Priestess was nowhere in sight. Mabel she had foreseen some of those things. “Go ahead, then. I think She is waiting for you.”

He wished he could hug Dev, comfort him. If this was to be the last time…

Instead, Dev nodded back and went through the door as if it was nothing, as if _this_ was nothing.

Fred took a deep breath and sat down on one of the benches.

He just had to wait.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Dev stumbled out of the door, and Fred knew immediately something was wrong.

Because this – this wasn’t the Dev of his Memories.

This was Morse.

But at the same time, not completely.

No – this was – this was what Fred was at the moment. Someone weighed down by the memories of two lives which diverged at a specific point.

And that was just _wrong_. Dev wasn’t a Time Jumper. He shouldn’t be able to keep the Memories in his mind.

And yet…

If anyone could…

“Dev!” he rushed to his side.

“You can say Morse now, sir” he said, looking rather as if he too was developing a headache. “She gave me back my memories.”

“You mean your Memories” he corrected him, but he shook his head.

“No. My memories. This life, this here – these are Memories.”

This would have been a whole lot easier if it wouldn’t all be so bloody confusing Fred thought.

“Why, though? You’re not a Jumper; you won’t be able to hold onto them for long –“

“For as long as I need them, she said.” Dev and Morse looked at him then, through those eyes he knew so well. “We have to get to the station.”

“Don’t you have work –“

“I can call Jerome from there – he can deal with it. We have –“ he closed his eyes and swallowed. “We _would have had_ a history of helping each other out.”

“Alright then” Fred said, having the feeling that there was more to this than Dev let on.

* * *

No one was surprised when he strolled into Cowley station with his son in tow, which was hardly surprising, since his Memories had already told him that Dev popped in regularly to drag him to lunch and make small talk with those who would have been his colleagues in another life.

He wordlessly handed him the files he himself had poured over and Dev – Morse – Dev – immediately started reading them.

They were silent for half an hour.-

Then, he said, “I didn’t think – I didn’t – there are so many cases unsolved.”

“Not all of them” he tried.

“Yes, but… you would think there was some… justice in the world. Not a little, just enough to make sure…” he swallowed and Fred once more marvelled at the bright young soul who somehow had managed to hold onto this belief despite all the pain he had been through.

Morse rubbed his forehead again.

“This isn’t healthy” Fred said. “You can’t just –“

“Yes I can. She Herself has given me the power, if only for a short while, sir” he said, unknowingly hurting Fred again. “I – this decision – the trouble is…” he trailed off.

“You know what you want” Fred said suddenly. “You know it just like I do. You can feel it in your bones.”

“But it’s not right! It’s not the truth!” Morse all but wailed, staring at him. “It’s – I would like to imagine that you came and befriended Mum, and that you adopted me –“

“We did –“

“I know I know. But still…” he stared into the distance. “If you had told me this was a possibility back in my old life” he admitted then, “I would have wanted it so much I don’t think I could have taken it.”

“Dev.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you.”

“I never meant to hurt you, either” Fred replied because it was true. Here was his boy (_your bagman_, a voice inside his head whispered, but he ignored it), devastated, trying to hold everything together.

“I know that. You were just trying your best. You always do, Dad.”

And he looked away. Fred did as well, only to hear a sniffle and realize with a sinking heart he would not be allowed to comfort him now even if he tried.

“Come one” he said, “There’s something I have to show you.”

He followed him, Stoll without looking at him.

Fred led him to the street corner where he had met himself over twenty years ago.

Dev looked around without comprehending. “What –“

“I know we keep talking about the decision that has to be made, but honestly, I made it a long time ago. Right here. Because –“ he took a deep breath and voiced a suspicion that had been growing from the moment he realized what was going on “Because a part of me knew that my younger self would go looking for you. Because I subconsciously hoped this would happen. We have always been more to each other than just a DI and his bagman, haven’t we?”

Dev stared at the pavement, the slowly, almost imperceptibly nodded.

Hope started to grow. “And so you see, I think – this feels more natural. Wouldn’t you say the same?”

“It _does_ feel natural” he admitted.

“So what is your choice?” Fred asked, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

His shoulders slumped. “I told you. I know what I want. But it’s not the right thing, and Keel is going to –“ his eyes widened. “Did She tell you too?”

“Tell me what?” he asked.

“The – the bit about having learned something in the last few days.”

“She said something like that” Fred remembered.

“Exactly.” Dev looked at him, his eyes blazing in the same way they would have whenever he cracked a case. “How long gave you known Sergeant Keel?”

“Since we moved to Oxford” he said.

“And how old is he?”

“I don’t know” he frowned. “He never told me –“

It was then that he realized that Keel had always looked exactly the same.

He hadn’t aged. “What does –“

“It means we ned to go talk to him” Dev said, his eyes sparkling now, and Fred couldn’t help bust grin as he realized they were sparkling with hope for the first time since he had Remembered. “I have an idea.”

* * *

Keel was in his office and looked relieved when they knocked. “Have you finally come to your senses?”

“Not really” Dev told him, still smiling. “But there is something we figured out, your lordship.”

Your lordship?

He turned to Fred. “That’s surely the right way to call a son of Her, don’t you think?”

“A son of…” Fred stared. “You’re Our Lady Time’s son?”

“Only someone very close to her would dare use the word Time as casually as he does” Dev supplied.

Keel smiled. “You’re the first ones to figure it out. We have our methods so people don’t notice we’re not aging.” He narrowed his eyes. “You had your suspicions in that other timeline though, didn’t you? Always struck me as rather sharp.”

Dev nodded. “We are asking for a favour, your lordship.”

“Sergeant is quite enough. And what favour?”

“The Change…”

He interrupted him “Like I said, you came to your senses. Quite right. Now, if you would just give me your hand, Fred…”

“Oh no, not that” Dev said hastily. “Well, yes that. But I have a request.”

“What request?”

“Your mother told us to make a decision. And she gave us a hint about you. So it’s safe to say we have her favour. But I don’t wish to have any of those cases I solved go unsolved. There has to be a timeline where I stay with my family, but also go to the police. It would barely be Changing a thing, so you shouldn’t have anything against it.”

Wait a moment. “You’ll be shot at. And stabbed! And don’t get me started on –“

“Dad, this wouldn’t work if I didn’t pay for it in some way” he said. “This would be my sacrifice. She must have told you about that as well”.

“You’ve got the world all figured out, haven’t you” Keel said with a sarcastic smile.

“No I haven’t” he said simply. “But I would rather grace it as a Thursday than as E. Morse.”

He looked at them then, and Fred wondered how he had never suspected that he was Our Lady Time’s son.

He had her eyes.

“Alright then” he said, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ll have to trust me, of course.”

“I’m willing to take that risk” Dev assured him.

Fred wasn’t sure he was but the lad was certain.

And so they reached oust when Keel told them he needed both their hands.

* * *

“It’s almost lunch time. Might as well go to the pub now; Mother was rather put out that I forgot to eat my sandwich yesterday.”

“Serves you right” he chuckled.

Dev smiled, then asked, “Say, have you noticed anything different about Keel lately? He’s been extra friendly the past couple of weeks.”

“Maybe he wants to recruit you”.

“Not interested. I’m happy as a detective.”

And father and son went to lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hoped you enjoyed this little story and that you have a great day!


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